http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=20908 Prof karl Grossman makes ref to a book in 2010 put out by 3 reputed scientists that 985,000 died from cancer caused by Chernobyl between 1986 and 2004.

The nuclear industry of power is closely linked to the war machine since it only takes a few more steps to refine uranium to create WMD's.We now know that Depleted Uranium was used is Iraq as ref by Helen Caldicott and Prof Chris Busby.Busby found evidence in women's hair at Fallujia of radiation that was refined beyond DU.He surmises that it might be some sort of new nuke weapon that we don't know about.There is photographic evidence of huge explosions in Iraq that may well be mini nukes.

Fukushima was a disaster waiting to happen.It was 1970's technology with few safegards and they stored 40 yrs of waste just above reactors in a earthquake zone.

They need to move to modern technology and progress to nuclear fusion if this industry is to have a future.

@Poirot

Hitchen's never seems to run out of those bon mot. I love the guy to bits. Sadly during his life I was only dimly aware of his brilliance. Since I read his glowing obits I read more and got to see his true stature. I could (and have) go/ne on and on.

Suffice ; The thing that distingushes Hitchins from his peers is his open mindedness. He says the most outrageous things - like calling B.S. on Momma T and Lady Di. He always backs it up to the hilt though - you might disagree with his conclusions but you gotta respect his rigour.

Interesting to see the effect he has had on some of his doctrinare aquantances. They called him a hero when he agrees with them and when he "turned" conservative they hated his guts. In truth he has never really bivouacked in any camp. He still respects the Lefty idealists he followed in his youth - he sorts the good from the bad and gives each it's due. Mind like a razor blade.

"Conspiracies Thoeries are the exaust fumes of Democracy"

R.I.P. ChrisTOPHER - you died too young Bro and we miss you .

@Arjay

Mate I cant work out what you are getting a here.

Which "war machine" ? Weapons nuclear explosive materials are specificly manufactured for that purpose. It's all done deliberately and not part of some clandestine conspiracy. Nuclear fuel from the power industry is a completely different animal. Pigs and Pineapples mate. Am I missing your point here?

"....evidence in women's hair at Fallujia of radiation that was refined beyond DU."

What does that mean ? Radiation is more than one thing. Depleted Uranium isn't radioactive. It is used in munitions for its physical properties, where they are pretty nasty to be on the recieving end of too, even confining themselves to the physics Newton knew about.

Now " ..photographic evidence of huge explosions in Iraq that may well be mini nukes." Here you are getting a bit too fabulous. Militarily it would make no sense - conventional explosives like the daisy cutter fills that role far more manageably. In terms of Physics it makes no sense either - back to Pigs and Pinapples. It was possible to use radioisotope tracing to figure out what happened 65 million years ago. If they had used low yield nukes in Iraq it would stand out like dogs knackers.

Mate I am no expert. I did a bit of TAFE and some Uni. I always try to avoid intellectual overreach. I try to check my facts. I am never totaly sure of anything and "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof". Mere hand waving and repeating conspriacy theories are great around the billy but dont cut it in the real world.

>The nuclear industry of power is closely linked to the war machine since it only takes a few more steps to refine uranium to create WMD's.

Slightly more complicated than that I'm afraid. But of course we all know about japan's secret nuclera weapon program.

>We now know that Depleted Uranium was used is Iraq as ref by Helen Caldicott and Prof Chris Busby.

Actually no, we could ask the US DoD and they would tell us that they use DU and have done so for a long time.

>Busby found evidence in women's hair at Fallujia of radiation that was refined beyond DU.He surmises that it might be some sort of new nuke weapon that we don't know about.There is photographic evidence of huge explosions in Iraq that may well be mini nukes.

I think it was actually the aliens from area 52.

>Fukushima was a disaster waiting to happen.It was 1970's technology with few safegards and they stored 40 yrs of waste just above reactors in a earthquake zone.

Finally something that we can agree on. Well the Japanese were unlucky, this was a very very big earthquake (which the reactor survived fine, I note) but they should ahve planned for it, and it was 1960s technology, such as no one is suggesting should be built now.

@Arjay, the book you referred to attributed every single excess death in the region to Chernobyl, whether radioligical in cause or not, through a period that saw the breakdown of the Soviet Union and the massive dislocation that went with it. So... cirrhosis of the liver is no longer caused by vodka, but by Chernobly. It is total junk science , the proof being that even Jim Green from FOE will not touch it and advises other's not to do so any more. Walk away from that one mate, you've been 'ad.

To make fuel you enrich to 3-5% U235. To make weapons material you enrich to 80% or more and yes, the same basic centrifuge technology does both. So the nuclear power plant side of things does not even enter the equation any more; those nefarious states don't build nuclear power, they pursue hidden enrichment facilities.

Depleted Uranium? It is no secret that it was used in Iraq. As a heavy and tough metal it has been used in shell casing and armour for ages. It's toxic if you inhale it in the same way lead is. It's not particularly radioactive, which is why it's so plentiful compared to U235. The rest is Caldicott doing her thing. The tragedy here is a fossil fuel driven war that lead to the shells being fired IMO.

For once I agree. The Fukushima siting of spent fuel was pretty silly design. Fortunately it is also completely irrelevant to any decision Australia might make from here such as perhaps an AP1000, an Enhanced CANDU 6, a Small Modular Reactor or preferably Integral Fast Reactor, which pretty much brings the benefits of fusion, difference being it is on the commercialisation pathway.

Meanwhile, back on topic, this article by John Daly is demonstrably a lot of fear-mongering cobblers by a fossil-fuel lover that runs the risk of further traumatising the parents of children in Japan by falsely suggesting that their children are in the early stages of developing cancer. Do you not agree? Or has that all become a little bit inconvenient?

The fact that anyone would accept the Yablokov book Arjay linked to, a non peer-reviewed book which is not accepted in mainstream science, above the findings of UNSCEAR and WHO clearly suggests confirmation bias. Cherry picking.

The "war machine" thing is simply the anti-nuclear equivalent of the Gish Gallop.